Sauces & Drinks · Southeast Asian
Peanut Sauce
Cook Now603kcal19.1g protein50.7g fat29g carbs~$1.09/ serving*Estimates computed from the ingredient list; cost uses average US supermarket prices. Not a substitute for packaging measurements or your receipt.
Vegetarian · without oneVegan · without onePescatarianNo porkNo alcohol
Contains: gluten, peanut, tree nut, soy
Ingredients
Servings:
| ¾ cup | coconut milk (full-fat) |
| ½ cup | peanut butter (natural, smooth) |
| 1 ½ tbsp | soy sauce |
| 1 ½ tbsp | brown sugar |
| 1 unit | lime (juice) |
| 1 clove | garlic (grated) |
| 1 tsp | ginger (grated) |
| 1 tsp | sriracha |
| 2 tbsp | peanuts (crushed, over the top)optional |
| 1 tsp | fish sauce (instead of some soy)optional |
Method
- simmer3 minmedium, coconut milk firstthe coconut milk alone until it steams and the surface slicks with oil — starting here instead of dumping everything together lets the coconut fat open up, which is what will carry the aromatics through the peanut butter's density
- whisk3 minmedium-low, until fully smooth+ peanut butter + soy + brown sugar + garlic + ginger + sriracha until one glossy sauce — it will look broken for a moment before it comes together; keep whisking, the emulsion forms as the peanut butter warms through
- simmer3 minlow, to the thickness of the jobgently, thinning with water a spoonful at a time — the correct texture depends on the assignment: nappe for satay, pourable for noodles, thick for a dip; the sauce tightens dramatically as it cools, so stop one notch looser than the target
- season2 minoff heat+ lime juice at the end, tasted against the sugar and soy — the lime is structural, not garnish: peanut butter and coconut are both fat and both sweet, and without the acid the sauce is a lullaby